In real life terms, a Catastrophic Injury is a life-changing event. A victim of catastrophic injuries may not be able to enjoy life as they once knew it. From job duties to recreational activities, victims of Catastrophic Injury typically find themselves unable to perform the same tasks as they used to. They might be wheelchair or bedbound. They might be permanently disfigured or suffering from cognitive deficits, psychological trauma, or chronic physical and emotional pain. Many victims of Catastrophic Injury require 24/7 care, special nurses, or facilities, to assist with activities of daily life (ADL’s).

A Personal Injury case exists when a person has been injured by the negligence of another individual or company. Negligence means the failure to use reasonable care. Negligence can include a single act or series of acts; it can also include the failure to act or a series of omissions. When a person or a corporation fails to use reasonable care, and someone gets hurt as a result, the law entitles the victim to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other harms and losses.

If you have been injured, your top priority must be your health. Get the medical care you need and continue to follow up on your doctor’s appointments and physical therapy. Once your initial medical needs have been attended to, you should take the following steps:

Document and preserve any evidence of what happened to you.

Gather the names and contact information of any witnesses.

Take relevant photographs and keep copies of important documents and records.

Your job is to heal. Our job is to investigate and prosecute your case. The more you take on by yourself, the more likely something will get missed. The Personal Injury attorneys at Mincey & Fitzpatrick are used to dealing with insurance companies, investigators, eyewitnesses, medical doctors and other healthcare professionals. While you focus on your recovery, our attorneys can:

People tend to ask themselves, “Why shouldn’t I just negotiate with the insurance company?” We recommend that you not discuss the events or your injury with anyone until you have consulted an attorney. Insurance adjusters only have two goals: avoid being held accountable and avoid paying you full and fair compensation. Don’t make their job easy by answering loaded questions, taking recorded statements without a lawyer present, or encouraging you to take pennies on the dollar.

Do not sign anything without contacting a Personal Injury lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected. If you agree to sign a release, you may waive all of your legal rights to be fully compensated. It may be too early to know the full extent of your injuries or your financial losses. Often, insurance companies will offer what appears to be a handsome settlement very early on in the process in order to avoid having to pay future medical bills and lost wages that pile up well after the settlement money is gone.

The statute of limitations is like a clock that starts to run immediately after you have been injured. The law only allows a plaintiff a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit, or else the claim is lost forever. Typically in personal injury cases the victim has two years to file a lawsuit. Waiting until the deadline approaches, however, can damage your case. The Personal Injury lawyers at Mincey & Fitzpatrick recommend that you contact an attorney as soon as you can. We may need time to investigate your case, track down witnesses, obtain medical records, subpoena public records and corporate documents, and conduct legal research to find the best arguments on your behalf. The more time you give us, the stronger your case becomes.

In short, Medical Malpractice can be defined as substandard care that causes harm, injury, or death to a patient. Medical Malpractice cases arise when a patient is harmed by a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional, who fails to provide proper health care treatment.

In the majority of cases, the medical malpractice or negligence involves a medical error in diagnosis, medication dosage, health management, treatment or aftercare. The medical error may arise from an act or the failure to act (an omission).

Fact: Between 210,000 and 440,000 patients die as a result of preventable medical errors every year. Yet, only one in eight people injured by medical negligence file a malpractice claim.

Fact: On average, just 6 percent of doctors are responsible for nearly 60 percent of all malpractice payments. From 1991 to 2005, just 5.9 percent of doctors were responsible for 57.8 percent of all malpractice payments.

Medical Malpractice cases provide an important patient safeguard against these medical errors by motivating health care providers to provide the best care, providing teaching moments for other physicians, and often leading to policy and procedure changes that protect patient safety. Without these checks and balances against the healthcare industry, the quality of care we all receive will inevitably deteriorate.

Medical Malpractice law provides a way for patients to recover compensation from any harms resulting from substandard medical treatment. We believe every medical malpractice case is unique to the patient, the healthcare providers, and the errors or deviations that occurred. However, most cases fall into one of the following categories by type of injury or malpractice:

If you do not see your concerns listed above, you may still have a Medical Malpractice claim. If you have any questions about the medical care you or your loved one received, you should give us a call or schedule an appointment to meet with one of our Medical Malpractice attorneys.

If you do not see your concerns listed above, you may still have a Medical Malpractice claim. If you have any questions about the medical care you or your loved one received, you should give us a call or schedule an appointment to meet with one of our Medical Malpractice attorneys.

If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed by malpractice, the most pressing concern is the patient’s health and well-being, assuming they have not passed away. If you have lost a loved one, requesting an autopsy may be critical to investing a medical malpractice case. Once the patient’s condition or situation stabilized, you should contact an experienced attorney at Mincey & Fitzpatrick.

People tend to ask themselves, “Why shouldn’t I just negotiate with the insurance company?” We recommend that you not discuss the events or your injury with anyone until you have consulted an attorney. Insurance adjusters only have two goals: avoid being held accountable and avoid paying you full and fair compensation. Don’t make their job easy by answering loaded questions, taking recorded statements without a lawyer present, or encouraging you to take pennies on the dollar.

Do not sign anything without contacting a Personal Injury lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected. If you agree to sign a release, you may waive all of your legal rights to be fully compensated. It may be too early to know the full extent of your injuries or your financial losses. Often, insurance companies will offer what appears to be a handsome settlement very early on in the process in order to avoid having to pay future medical bills and lost wages that pile up well after the settlement money is gone.

*This website is informational only. The general information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of any lawyer/client relationship. Each case is different and stands on its own merit, the description of awards, results and settlements do not guarantee a similar result in any current or future cases. The results mentioned in this site include those that were obtained by Mincey & Fitzpatrick lawyers while working at other firms.